Air quality

Monitoring and controlling air pollution

The Royal Borough of Greenwich is committed to improving air quality. This has led to us becoming one of only four Beacon Authorities for air quality in the country.

The borough has been at the forefront of air pollution control for many years.

We were the first local authority in the country to declare a Low Emission Zone (LEZ), namely the Greenwich Peninsula LEZ in 2004

During the 1980s, we conducted research into the accumulation of lead in children (leading to government action to introduce lead-free petrol)

In the 1950s, we implemented the Smoke Control Area

Vehicle emissions

The main air quality problem today is no longer factory pollution, but vehicle emissions. This means that we now concentrate on pollution monitoring and air quality improvement programmes and measures that:

Control vehicle emissions at the source

Minimise vehicle use

Encourage the uptake of cleaner fuels and vehicles

Encourage the uptake of other forms of transport, such as cycling and public transport